Trinity: The years that follow
by Yamisenken-master
Summary: Life is about to take a turn for the worst for Ukyo, Akane, and Ranma.
1. Prologue

One year after the Saffron Incident Ranma sat in his room at the Tendo house thinking about the events of the preceding year.   
  
"Things sure have changed." Ranma thought. "Shampoo, Cologne, and mousse went back to their village." "Kuno and Kodachi recieved invites to the united states to study martial arts under some guy named Chuck Norris." "The only thing that hasn't changed is me and Akane's fighting, and my…" Ranma stares at the off-white wall. "…curse."  
  
Suddenly a man in a white gi burst through the door.  
  
"YAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" yelled the man.  
  
Ranma swiftly kicked the man in the head and sent him flying.  
"Pops what are you doing" he asked.  
  
"I'm preparing you for our journey"  
  
"NANI???!!!" asked Ranma  
  
"We're going to china to cure our curses"  
  
Ranma stared dumb founded at what his father was saying. Genma loved to yank Ranma's chain but he'd never joke about something like this.  
  
"Are you serious pops?" "Are we really going to Jusenkyo?"  
  
"You've lived like this long enough son. How can you be expected to marry Akane if you turn into a girl every ten seconds?"  
  
Ranma face faulted "so thats why you want to go to jusenkyo"  
  
"I…Uh…" replied Genma.  
  
Ranma grabbed his dad and threw him out the window yelling, "CAN IT OLD MAN!"  
  
Genma landed in the pond and a few seconds later emerged as a panda holding up a sign that said ingrate.  
  
"Baka" Ranma said under his breath then ran down the stairs to get ready for school.  
  
  
  
  
"BAKA!!!!!" Akane screamed. As she and Ranma raced toward school.  
  
"What have I done now?" Ranma yelled.  
  
Akane sped up and Ranma jumped on to the fence to run alongside her, easily keeping up.  
  
"Don't play dumb with me Hentai!" Replied Akane angrily. "I saw you last night at Ucchan's"  
  
"You uncute tomboy!!" countered Ranma angrily. "By the time I got home from hall clean up at school, Kasumi had already cleaned up from dinner. So I went to Ucchan's for some grub!"  
  
"You can't lie to me Ranma!! I know why you were there…You were on a date with Ukyo!"  
  
"No I wasn't!!" spat Ranma. "Why don't you trust me for once"  
  
"Who would trust a Hentai like you!"  
With that Akane swung her bag at Ranma knocking him off the fence into the Canal below.  
  
"Kowaikone" sputtered ranma as he surfaced, now totally female.  
  
Half an hour later Ranma arrived at Furinkin highschool cold, wet and a girl. He tried to sneak in quietly but was caught because of the loud sloshing of the cold water in his shoes. He ended up having to stand out side the class room holding buckets for the entire day.  
  
The minutes and hours passed by slowly. When the day was finally over Ranma went meet Akane to walk home.  
  
"Akane-san, wait!" Ranma yelled running behind Akane.  
  
Akane stops and turns around  
  
"Hi Ranma-kun, how was your day?"  
  
"Just peachy" Ranma answered in a sarcastic tone of voice.  
  
As the pair rounded the last corner that led right to the tendo dojo they were appalled at what they saw. The Tendo house and dojo lay in ruins… 


	2. Chapter one

Chapter one  
  
"DAD!!!" Akane screamed. "Dad Where are you?!"  
  
Ranma and Akane ran towards the pile of smoking rubble and quickly began picking through the wreckage.  
  
"Pops, Mr. Tendo!!!? Can you hear me?" Ranma screamed.  
  
Some where from in the wreckage came a faint voice, its owner having trouble breathing?  
  
"R...a...n...m...a..." choked the voice.  
  
Ranma and akane quickly followed the sound and started digging under the rubble. Under the pile they found a crushed Genma Saotome. His arms and legs were   
broken and a piece of wood was puncturing one of his lungs.   
  
"POPS!" Ranma cried. "What happened here?" gasped Ranma quickly kneeling at his father's side.  
  
"There is no time for that boy" Genma spat out having trouble breathing. "Son there is something that I haven't told you about the history of the Anything   
Goes School of Martial Arts and why only 2 families practice it." "Unfortunately there is no time for that now."  
  
"Don't talk like that pops!! it'll be ok" Said ranma with tears beginning to well up in his eyes.  
  
"Don't go soft on me now boy, it's a martial artist's way to stay calm in all situations" said genma sternly.  
  
"Yes father." conceded Ranma Choking back his tears.  
  
"Ranma, listen carefully." Genma Winced at the pain it was taking to talk. "Ranma, Go to Cologne She will tell you everything and give you what is   
rightfully yours."   
  
"Why dad?" asked Ranma tears welling up in his eyes once again.  
  
"DON'T ASK QUESTIONS!!!" Ranma's father chastised. Then seeming to realized how much pain he was in said very quietly, "Ranma you have no idea how powerful   
and important you really are, It is your destiny to lead the entire Saotome school of anything goes martial arts."  
  
"Dad..." Ranma's words faded out when his father gave him a stern stare.  
  
"Son take these" Genma painfully handed Ranma 2 scrolls. "These are the rarest techniques I have...they are the umisenken and the yamisenken with them you   
can prevail over..." There was a long pause as Genma, choking on blood, tried to get the word out of his mouth.   
"Over...those...who...have...done...this...too...us." With that Genma took one last breath and died.  
  
"DAD!!!!!! NO!!!" Ranma Yelled bending over his father, tears streaming down his face.  
  
Through the entire ordeal Akane watched in horror as Ranma's father died right before her eyes.   
  
"Ran-" Akane was cut off by the sharp look Ranma gave her.  
  
"Akane" Ranma said slowly and solemnly. "My father is dead and I swear by and god who can hear me I WILL AVENGE HIS DEATH!!!"  
  
All Akane could do was nod she had NEVER see so much passion in Ranma's eyes. It frightened her a little bit. Akane suddenly snapped to the realization that   
her Dad...AND SISTERS could be trapped under this wreck!  
  
"Ranma!!" she yelled. "We have to see if my father and my sisters are under this mess!!"  
  
Ranma was silent. Then slowly getting up from his position at his father's side. He gave Akane a nod and started digging through the mess.  
  
Not a thing was said for the next hour as Ranma and Akane dug through the piles of wood and concrete that were once they're home. After about an hours of   
searching they gave up and sat down to rest. It was getting dark and cold.  
  
"Ranma, We didn't find any sign of my father or my sisters in this pile" Akane said worriedly.  
  
"That probably means they weren't home when it happened..." Ranma said quietly, Thinking about his father.  
  
"That's good" Replied Akane.  
  
"Whatever" Ranma Said. "Look, Its getting late and its getting cold we should find somewhere to stay for the night"  
  
"Doesn't Ukyo have a spare bed?" Inquired Akane.  
  
"Yeah but aren't you afraid that I will Go into her Room and sleep with her during the night" Ranma Asked sarcastically.  
  
"Feh, I could care less" Akane starting to get a little angry.  
  
With that the pair headed to Ucchans okinamiyaki restaurant. 


	3. Chapter two

Ukyo Kuonji sat in her restaurant eating her dinner after a particularly exhausting day. As she sat there alone her thoughts started to drift towards Ranma.   
  
"I Wonder what Ranma-honey is doing right now" she thouhgt. "He's probably at home with Akane and the rest of the Tendos eating dinner while i'm stuck here all alone."   
  
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Ukyo was pulled out of her deep thought by the loud knock. She got up to open it and was surprised by what she saw.   
  
"Ranma-honey!!" she squealed gleefully.  
  
Ranma only gave her a solemn nod. Ukyo's happiness faded as she looked past Ranma's grim face and saw Akane.  
  
"Oh hi Akane…" she stated flatly.   
  
Akane gave her a small smile.   
  
"Well don't just stand there" Said Ukyo. "Come inside out of that cold."  
  
Everyone sat down at a table in the corner, Ukyo beside Ranma and Akane across from them both. There was silence for about 3 minutes before Ukyo spoke up.  
  
"So what brings you guys here?" Ukyo asked the pair.  
  
Ranma and Akane spent the next half an hour filling Ukyo in on what happened. At the end Ukyo looked down at the table with sorrow and horror at the prospect of HER Ranma-honey losing the only family he had left. There was his mother but he couldn't go see her could he? Ukyo was pushed back to reality when she realized she was staring. As she looked up at Ranma she realized there were tears in his eyes. She put her arm around Ranma and gave him a gentle squeeze. Ranma, for the first time, didn't reject Ukyo's hug. Akane stared at them in disbelief. Ukyo held on for a moment or two then let go, slowly turning red. Ranma wiped his eyes and finally spoke.  
  
"Thank you Ucchan"  
  
"Eh?" voiced Ukyo surprised. "Ranma…"  
  
Akane sat watching the exchange, he temper slowly coming to a boil.  
  
"If we are done with this now I think we should figure out wha-"  
  
Akane was cut off by a loud bang on the door. The the door burst open and in stumbled a profusely bleeding konatsu.  
  
"UKYO!! You have to get out of here their coming" cried Konatsu weakly.  
Akane, Ranma and Ukyo gaped at the injured Konatsu.   
  
"Konatsu!" Ukyo cried. "What happened to you?"  
  
"It doesn't matter, Ukyo you must ge- "  
  
Konatsu was cut off by an arrow sailing through an arrow narrowly missing Ranma and   
hitting Konatsu in the chest. The three friends stared with horror at Konatsu's body, blood pooling around it. Suddenly, through the window burst 3 ninjas dressed in all black with their entire faces covered up. The nearest one attacked Ranma he easily dodges.   
  
"AKANE, UKYO GET OUT OF HERE!!!" Ranma yelled.  
  
"NO WAY RANMA!!" cried Akane. "I'm not leaving you"  
  
"I'm staying too!" said Ukyo, pulling out her spatula.   
  
Just then 8 more ninjas burst through the door. Ranma, realizing they were out number, turned and tried to run. But the ninjas formed a tight circle around the trio. Akane, Ranma, and Ukyo stood back to back to back in the middle of the restaurant.  
  
"There is no way we can beat all of them!" Ukyo cried.  
  
"Your right" Ranma affirmed. "I've got to do something drastic"  
  
Ranma went into a series of complicated hand movements.  
  
"HIRYUU-SHOTEN HA!" Ranma yelled.  
  
A fierce ki squall surged through the room. Ranma instinctively threw himself over Akane and Ukyo. Ki wind whipped through the restaurant, breaking the remainder of the windows and destroying anything else in the room that wasn't bolted down. Then there was silence. Ranma and the girls stood up slowly and looked around. The restaurant Ukyo worked so hard to establish was in ruins. One of the walls of the restaurant was totally destroyed. The tables and booths were ripped off their foundations and broken into about a thousand pieces. The only things that were still intact were The grill and Ukyo's weapons locker that held her spatulas.   
  
"BAKA!!" Akane yelled and gave Ranma a hard slap. "You destroyed Ukyo's restaurant!"   
  
"Better it than us." Ranma said rubbing his cheek painfully.  
  
"Ranma is right, Akane" said Ukyo. "We are lucky to be alive"  
  
Ukyo turned to Ranma with a worried look on her face.  
  
"Ranma what are we going to do now"? She asked.  
  
"Well pops told me to go see Cologne in china" Ranma said. "Maybe she has some answers."  
  
"Well then let's go." Agreed Akane.  
  
Akane and Ranma started to leave.  
  
"Sorry I got you involved in this Ukyo" Said Ranma with a worried face. "I'll see you around."  
  
Ukyo stared at Ranma with a surprised look on her face.  
  
"See you around"? she gasped. "After what just happened to us? I'm coming with you!."  
  
"But…" Ranma started to argue.  
  
"No buts about it! IM GOING!"   
  
Ranma couldn't argue with that.   
  
"Fine" he said looking at the floor.  
  
"We should wait till tomorrow to leave" said Akane.  
  
"But…" Ranma started to argue once more.  
  
"Yeah that's a good Idea Akane I have 2 beds upstairs, we can spend the night here."  
  
The Trio retreated up to the beds having no clue what they were getting themselves into.  
  
*Meanwhile in jusendo china*  
  
Cologne awoke with a start.   
  
"Something isn't right" she said to herself.  
  
She looked over at Xian Pu sleeping beside her. Seeing the girl there put cologne's mind at rest. With that she closed her eyes and went back to sleep. 


	4. chapter three

Chapter 3  
  
"Sir, out attempts to subdue Saotome and the other 2 females were failures" explained a nervous voice.  
  
"Fools can't you do anything by yourself"? Came an angry reply. "You shall be punished for your failure."  
  
"But sir…" said the first voice filled with more fear than nervousness this time.  
  
"SILENCE!"   
  
"Sir…no….please…don't…NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma Saotome was awakened by the smell of breakfast in the kitchen.   
  
"Ukyo must be making breakfast" he said to himself.  
  
Ranma got up out of the bed and walked down the stairs to the kitchen. He was greeted by the sight of Akane and Ukyo in the kitchen making breakfast.   
  
"Oh no" he said quietly. "Akane is cooking; I've died and gone to hell."  
  
Apparently he didn't say it quiet enough cause before he knew it he was lying on the floor with a killer head ache and Akane was standing over him with her mallet.  
  
"RANMAAA, HOW DARE YOU INSULT MY COOKING!!" Screamed Akane.  
  
At that moment Akane was hit with a large metal object. Ukyo was brandishing her Spatula and was surrounded by a bright red battle aura.   
  
"HOW DARE YOU HIT MY RANMA-HONEY, AKANE!!!" Ukyo yelled at Akane. "You had no right to touch him, besides your pancakes are burning." Ukyo said with a smirk.  
  
"Ahhhh!" Akane screamed running over to the grill and flipped her smoldering pancakes. "Since when was Ranma YOURS anyway? He's my fiancé, and furthermore-" Akane was cut off by a sharp look from Ranma.  
  
"If we going to be traveling together, you guys have to stop fighting!" Ranma said with distain. "Do you guys realize that unless you leave me the hell alone, I'm NOT going to choose a fiancée!"  
  
The girls stared at Ranma in awe. This had never happened before. Ukyo and Akane had no idea what to do or what to say. Ranma walked past the staring girls and grabbed one of Ukyo's breakfast okinamiyakis and started munching on it. The girls sat down beside him still looking at him.   
  
"Ranma"? Ukyo finally spoke. "Why didn't you tell me you felt this way"?  
  
"I have millions of times." Ranma stated matter-o-factly. "You guys never listened to me!" "YOU WERE ALWAYS TOO CONCERNED ABOUT WHO I BELONGED TO, IM NOT PROPERTY GODDAMMIT!!"  
  
There was a long silence, a silence that was broken only by the wind whipping through the broken windows and the now non-existent wall. Akane was the first to speak.  
  
"Finish your breakfast Ranma. We should get going."  
  
After breakfast the trio started out on their long hard journey to china. For the most part they walked together in awkward silence. Until Ukyo spoke couldn't take it anymore and spoke up.   
  
"God, this is driving me nuts, will someone please say something?"   
  
"Sorry Ucchan." Ranma said. "I was just thinking about how we are gonna get across the ocean to China.  
  
The girls stared at him. They hadn't thought about that either. Ranma spoke again.  
  
"Well, there are 2 ways to cross. One, we could try to scrounge up enough money for all 3 of us to take a ferry. The only problem with that is it could take months. Two we could swim it just like-"  
  
Ranma's words got caught in his throat.  
  
"Just like pops and I did."  
  
The girls looked deep in thought. Akane spoke.  
  
"I for one think we should swim it."  
  
"Me too Ukyo agreed."  
  
"Ok" Ranma said. "I guess were swimmin' it."  
  
The trio continued to walk not aware they were being watched. 


	5. Chapter four

Chapter 4  
  
Later Ranma and the girls had set up camp in the woods near the beach. Akane had gone off to find fire wood, giving Ukyo the perfect chance to talk to Ranma.  
  
"Ranma?" Ukyo said quietly.  
  
"Eh?" Replied Ranma.  
  
"Ranma, I'm sorry." Said Ukyo.  
  
"For what?" Asked Ranma.  
  
"For everything. For treating you like I owned you and not considering how you felt." said Ukyo.  
  
"Oh that's ok." Said Ranma. "Its not really you so much, its Akane. That girl is a b**ch. She yells at me, she hits me, she doesn't trust me. I mean a year ago I actually was considering marrying her, but then. well you know."  
  
"Yeah." Ukyo said.  
  
Ranma and Ukyo smiled at each other. Ranma suddenly grew embarrassed, turned red. Ukyo stared into his eyes. Just then Akane returned.  
  
"Hey guys, I got the firewood" Akane Yelled.  
  
This snapped Ukyo out of her trance.  
  
"Good Akane." Ranma said. "Lets start a fire and get dinner ready"  
  
"ILL COOK!!!" Screamed Ukyo.  
  
**After dinner**  
  
"UUUAAAGHHH" Yawned Ranma. "Ukyo the was certainly the best dinner I have ever had that was made of simply wild mushrooms."  
  
Ukyo beamed at this remark.  
  
"Thank you Ranma!" Ukyo exclaimed.  
  
"Why is he being so nice to her all of a sudden?" Akane said quietly to herself. "I mean just one he-"  
  
Just then Akane heard a sound in the bushes.  
  
"Ranma did you hear that?" She turned around to look at Ranma and saw that he was looking at the bushes intently listening very carefully.  
  
Ukyo noticing this turned to Akane and shrugged.  
  
"What is it Ranma?" Akane asked.  
  
"Shhhhh!" Ranma replied.  
  
From the bushes came a angry whisper. It uttered 3 words.  
  
"shi shi houkodan."  
  
"Oh Sh*t" muttered Ranma. "LOOK OUT!!!!"  
  
Ranma grabbed the girls in his arms and leaped out of the way just as a mass concentration of energy surged towards the spot where the party just was and exploded with a force that blew Ranma and the girls 20 feet away on the beach. The group landed in a heap on the sand with a thud. Akane and Ukyo were out cold.  
  
A muscular boy with fangs surged out of the bushes and lunged at Ranma who easily evaded the attack by flipping backwards and landing 5 feet away.  
  
"AKANE, UKYO!" Ranma screamed. "GRRRRRR RYOUGA, What are YOU doing here, and why did you attack us?!"  
  
"Saotome!" Ryouga screamed. "What have you done with Akari!?"  
  
"What are you talking about Ryouga?" Ranma asked.  
  
"You know damn well what I'm talking about!!!" Ryouga accused.  
  
Once again Ryouga lunged for Ranma. Ranma just side stepped and tripped him.  
  
"I see your martial arts skills haven't gotten any better." Ranma Sneered. "Now do you wanna tell me what in the hell is going on?"  
  
Ryouga, still on the ground in front of Akane, fuming, but decided that the best way to get to the bottom of this situation was to keep a cool head.  
  
"ugh." There was a sound from behind the 2 rivals.  
  
"Ow.what was that?" Ukyo Groaned.  
  
"Ukyo, Are you ok?"  
  
"Yeah only a few bruises it looks like you and Akane took the brunt of the force." Ukyo said. "What did I miss?"  
  
Ranma helped Ukyo up and turned and pointed to Ryouga.  
  
"Ryouga, What are you doing here?"  
  
"Well I-" Ryouga started.  
  
"He's the one who attacked us." Ranma stated with distain.  
  
"RYOUGA!!! You attacked US!!!?!" Ukyo stammered. "Why would you do that?"  
  
"Well I.uh"  
  
"Come on spit it out P-chan" Spat ranma.  
  
"How dare you!" Ryouga Fumed.  
  
"Oh shut up pig boy Akane is unconscious, thanks to you." Ranma accused.  
  
"Uh am I missing something here?" asked Ukyo.  
  
"Never mind." said the boys in unison."  
  
"Ugh."  
  
Akane groaned on the ground, rolled over and opened her eyes.  
  
"Ugh.what happened?" Said akane groggily.  
  
"Uh Akane." said ryouga.  
  
"Oh Ryouga! What are you doing here?" Akane asked surprised.  
  
"Well.uh.I..um" Ryouga stammered.  
  
Ranma put his hand on ryouga's head and pushed it into the ground.  
  
"Ryouga here decided to attack us and run around ranting about someone named Akari."  
  
"Geroffofmehranma!!" Yelled Ryouga with his head in the sand.  
  
"What's that pig boy?" teased Ranma.  
  
"GET OFF ME!!!" Ryouga stated clearly enough for Ranma to understand.  
  
Ranma took his hand off of Ryouga's head and stepped back. The girls looked at Ryouga with confused looks. Ranma laid down on the sand and put his hand behind his head growing impatient with Ryouga.  
  
"It all started about a month ago." Ryouga started."I was on my way to my parents house when I decided to stop by Akari's house. When I got there I found the house in ruins. There was a note saying that Ranma had taken her and if I tried to follow they would kill her."  
  
The group stared at ryouga in silent awe.  
  
"Ryouga.? Do you know why we are out here together?" Asked Ukyo.  
  
"No, why?"  
  
The grouped looked at each other for a moment.  
  
"The Tendo Dojo was destroyed when Ranma and I came home from school 3 days ago." said Akane. " Genma was dead and there were no signs of Father or my sisters."  
  
"Before my dad died he told me to go to Shampoo's village and see cologne. So that's where we are going." Said Ranma.  
  
Ryouga stared at Ranma like he had just seen a ghost.  
  
"Geez, Ranma I had no clue." Said Ryouga. "Do you think the same people that ransacked the Dojo took Akari?"  
  
"I don't know." Said Ranma. "I think we should turn in for tonight and discuss this tomorrow. Ryouga you and I will share a tent and the girls will share the other."  
  
"Alright." Affirmed Ryouga.  
  
So the group set up camp and turned in for the night. 


	6. Chapter Five

Ukyo yawned and stretched. When she looked around her tent to find her clothes she discovered that Akane was already up. She put on her shirt and wandered outside. Sure enough by the fire sat Ranma, Akane and Ryouga. Ranma looked up at Ukyo expectantly, hoping for breakfast while Akane sat there looking agitated. Ryouga was staring off into space not noticing anything that was going on around him.  
  
"Good morning everyone" Chimed Ukyo. "How did you sleep?"  
  
"Ok I guess except that Ryouga, who not only snored, but kicked me all night" Replied Ranma now not only looking hungry but sleepy too.  
  
Ukyo looked at Ranma with the same look a mother gives when she sees that her child is sick. Then she turned around and gave Ryouga a sour look. Ryouga, who was just noticing that Ukyo was up, looked up at her.  
  
"Oh good morning Uchan" said Ryouga oblivious to the fact that she had just been talking to him. "What's for breakfast?"  
  
Ukyo sighed and shook her head with annoyance. The group was silent. Akane finally spoke.  
  
"So Ukyo.about breakfast?" she said with obvious contempt for Ukyo's cooking abilities.  
  
"Ok um Ryouga go out and find some eggs, something for meat and some mushrooms and Akane will you please gather some more fire wood?"  
  
Ukyo went into her tent and took a small skillet and her small spatulas out of her pack along with the very meager amount of spices she had left. She sighed thinking about her restaurant and ventured back out side where she saw Ranma on the ground obviously thinking about something.  
  
"What's on your mind Ran-chan?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"What.huh?!" Ranma said.  
  
Ukyo's question had brought him out of his deep thought.  
  
"I said, what's on your mind Ranma."  
  
"Oh just thinking about what's gonna happen when we go see cologne, and who kidnapped-what's her name." Ranma revealed.  
  
Ukyo sat down next to him.  
  
I'm sure whatever Cologne has to say will help us try and track down who ever kidnapped Ryouga's friend and killed."  
  
Ukyo paused when she saw Ranma's saddened expression.  
  
".Your father." Ukyo finished.  
  
"I hope so." replied Ranma.  
  
At that moment Ryouga returned with about 8 speckled eggs in his hands. He had a relatively large wild pig tied to his back with a few of his bandanas.  
  
"Here Ukyo will this stuff work?" Asked Ryouga.  
  
"Yes its great Ryouga. It will work perfectly."  
  
"Hey Ryouga did you have to kill one of your relatives?" Ranma teased.  
  
"Why you saotome!!!" Ryouga fumed.  
  
Ryouga lunged at Ranma. Ranma easily evaded by rolling backward and springing to his feet. Ranma stood in a ready position facing Ryouga.  
  
"You wanna fight pig boy!?" Ranma yelled angrily.  
  
"How dare you joke like that!" Ryouga screamed as he charged for Ranma.  
  
Ranma easily jumped over Ryouga and landed behind him. As soon as he landed a large metal object impacted with the top of his head. Knocking him nearly unconscious. Ukyo Had hit him with her BAS (Big Ass Spatula).  
  
"Ranma stop picking fights with Ryouga!" said Ukyo. "Beside Ryouga you forgot the Mushrooms"  
  
"Speaking of which." said Ranma "how did you go into the woods find all that stuff and get back within 10 minutes? Wouldn't you usually have ended up in Okinawa?"  
  
"er.uh I don't know" Ryouga said obviously bewildered. "I guess I was lucky."  
  
"Maybe" Ranma shrugged putting the thought out of his mind.  
  
Ukyo turned to Ryouga and asked him to go find the mushrooms. Ryouga ran off into the woods just as Akane returned.  
  
"Here is the firewood Ukyo." Akane said looking much more cheerful than she had before.  
  
"Thanks Akane! Now I can start making breakfast."  
  
Ukyo sat down and began making breakfast using the fire wood, eggs, wild boar, spices, and other supplies that she had at her disposal. Akane walked off somewhere by herself and Ranma followed at a distance. After about 10 minutes of walking Akane stopped in her tracks and turned around to face Ranma she obviously knew he had been following her. Ranma looked at Akane with solemn look. There were tears in Akane's eyes. Ranma stood facing the crying girl not knowing what to do or say. Akane walked slowly toward Ranma still crying, not saying a word. At that moment Akane lost it and collapsed onto Ranma. Ranma didn't know what to do so he stood there...eventually Ranma wrapped his arms around Akane and held her. The pair stood that way for what seemed like hours. Finally Ranma Spoke.  
  
"What's wrong akane?"  
  
Akane just stood there in his arms, silent.  
  
"Whatever it is you can tell me." Ranma whispered.  
  
Akane backed up from Ranma.  
  
"I.I.I don't know if we'll ever find my father and my sisters. What of they're dead? I couldn't stand life without them! Ranma I'm so worried! I can't stand it!"  
  
"s'ok Akane we'll find them they can't be dead we didn't find them in the rubble. So you have to keep hoping." Ranma reassured her.  
  
"But Ranma, what if they were taken, kidnapped just like Akari?"  
  
"Well then they are still alive. Whoever wrecked the dojo wanted us. So all we have to do is wait. They are probably using your sisters to lure us somewhere." Ranma replied.  
  
Akane was silent she turned and started walking back to camp. After a few steps she turned to face Ranma tears dried on her face.  
  
"Thanks Ranma."  
  
Akane turned and walked back to the camp. Ranma stood there for a minute, confused, watching Akane walk away. He heard a noise and turned around quickly, but seeing nothing he dismissed it and headed back to camp at a slow pace.  
  
When Ranma got back to the camp everyone was sitting around Ukyo's makeshift kitchen with plates of food in their hands. Ukyo was serving breakfast Okinamiyakis with slight modifications.  
  
"Hi Ranma have a plate. This is what I call Ucchans Breakfast Okinamiyaki!" Ukyo beamed.  
  
Ranma gladly excepted the plate, he was starving and couldn't wait to dig in. 


End file.
